This can't be the same San Diego Padres team that lost 18 of 22 games through the first few weeks of May, it just can't be.
Well, you can keep teling yourself that but the San Diego Padres came from six runs behind to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-7, capped by a big two run home run from left fielder Chase Headley in the top half of the tenth inning off Arizona reliever Tony Pena.
Through six innings, it looked like the win streak was going to come through an end with the Padres down 7-1, their lone run coming in the fourth inning on Adrian Gonzalez' 17th home run of the season.
Padres' starter Chad Gaudin had one of his worst starts of the season, giving up seven runs on five hits and striking out six but he walked five batters as well as hitting a batter. The Padres needed a much better start out of him if the win streak was going to continue. Luckily for Gaudin and San Diego, the Padres' offense came alive.
In the top half of the eighth, the Padres loaded the bases with just one out and would then get back-to-back RBI singles from Kevin Kouzmanoff and Henry Blanco, pulling the Padres to within four runs, 7-3, but they weren't done. After Chase Headley popped out for the second out of the inning, right fielder Drew Macias came up with a big two out bases clearing double to pull the Padres to within one, 7-6.
In the top half of the ninth, Brian Giles would get a lead off pinch hit double and would later score on an RBI single from Scott Hairston and just like that, the Padres had come from six runs back to tie the game at 7-7.
In the tenth, with Tony Pena on the hill for Arizona, catcher Henry Blanco would lead off the inning with a single to center which brought up Chase Headley. Headley would crush a 1-1 pitch to right center for the game winning two run shot, capping an unthinkable come from behind victory.
Headley wouldn't be the only hero on this night, the Padres' bullpen deserves a ton of credit. After being dominant at home during the team's 9-0 homestand, they continued their dominance against Arizona, pitching four and a two third scoreless innings, giving up just two hits. Heath Bell came in to close out the win for the Padres and get his 13th save in as many chances with a perfect 10th inning, lowering his ERA to 0.47.
Can the Padres keep this streak alive, could this team really catch the Dodgers from behind after people had written them off just a few short weeks ago? They will give it a shot as they'll play the second game of a three game set against Arizona on Tuesday night. The Padres will have Kevin Correia (1-2, 4.53) on the hill while Arizona will counter with right hander Max Scherzer (1-3, 3.50)
Showing posts with label Henry Blanco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Henry Blanco. Show all posts
Monday, May 25, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Padres-Cubs: Early Lead Slips Away as Padres Fall to Cubs
Jake Peavy can't go into the clubhouse and spew his usual "I've pitched in these kinds of games my entire career," that we're used to hearing after he pitches a great game but gets no run support from his offense.
San Diego jumped out to a 2-0 lead, thanks to a two run home run from first baseman Adrian Gonzalez his 11th of the year, in the first inning. That lead wouldn't hold as the Cubs scored six runs in the last four innings to beat the Padres, 6-2.
Peavy had the Cubs shut out for four innings and it looked like the Padres were finally going to break their losing streak and take the first of their three game set against the Cubs.
In the fifth, Peavy would issue a lead walk to catcher Geovany Soto, would would be sacrificed to second on a bunt from pitcher Rich Harden after Peavy struck out Aaron Miles. It looked like Peavy might just get out of a jam, but Alfonso Soriano would lace an RBI double to left center, scoring Soto from second to pull the Cubs to within 2-1.
In the top half of the sixth, the Padres had two on after back-to-back singles from David Eckstein and Adrian Gonzalez with just one out, but Chase Headley would ground into an inning ending double play to end the Padres' threat.
In the home half of the sixth, the Cubs would make the Padres pay for not pushing across a single run. Kosuke Fukudome, a player the Padres made a run at prior to the 2008 season, led off with a double to left and after a strikeout to Derek Lee, former Padre Milton Bradley would launch a two run shot to center off his former teammate, erasing the Padres' lead and giving the Cubs a 3-2 lead.
The Padres had a chance to at least tie the game in the top half of the seventh. Jody Gerut led off with a single and would steal second after Kevin Kouzmanoff popped out, but Henry Blanco would ground out and Luis Rodriguez flied out to end the inning.
It's been the lack of hitting with runners in scoring position that has given this Padres' team the most headache. Having runners on second or third with less than two outs and not getting that sac fly or not getting that timely base hit that would score that run.
After a 9-3 start, the Padres have gone 4-17 in their last 21 games, pushing them farther and farther out of the NL West and possibly making them sellers faster than anyone expected.
Prior to the start of the 2009 season, there were so many people talking about this Padres team losing 100 games or more but after a 9-3 start, the team was raising a lot of eyebrows. But, nothing has gone right for this team since then. Their pitching has struggled, their offense has been non existant at certain times and their bullpen has had trouble keeping teams off the scoreboard.
It's a trend that is quickly demolishing this team, a trend that will have this team losing more games than ever before in franchise history.
The two teams will be back at it tonight from Wrigley Field. The Padres will have 6'10" right hander Chris Young (2-1, 4.76) against Cubs' left hander Ted Lilly (4-2, 3.11).
San Diego jumped out to a 2-0 lead, thanks to a two run home run from first baseman Adrian Gonzalez his 11th of the year, in the first inning. That lead wouldn't hold as the Cubs scored six runs in the last four innings to beat the Padres, 6-2.
Peavy had the Cubs shut out for four innings and it looked like the Padres were finally going to break their losing streak and take the first of their three game set against the Cubs.
In the fifth, Peavy would issue a lead walk to catcher Geovany Soto, would would be sacrificed to second on a bunt from pitcher Rich Harden after Peavy struck out Aaron Miles. It looked like Peavy might just get out of a jam, but Alfonso Soriano would lace an RBI double to left center, scoring Soto from second to pull the Cubs to within 2-1.
In the top half of the sixth, the Padres had two on after back-to-back singles from David Eckstein and Adrian Gonzalez with just one out, but Chase Headley would ground into an inning ending double play to end the Padres' threat.
In the home half of the sixth, the Cubs would make the Padres pay for not pushing across a single run. Kosuke Fukudome, a player the Padres made a run at prior to the 2008 season, led off with a double to left and after a strikeout to Derek Lee, former Padre Milton Bradley would launch a two run shot to center off his former teammate, erasing the Padres' lead and giving the Cubs a 3-2 lead.
The Padres had a chance to at least tie the game in the top half of the seventh. Jody Gerut led off with a single and would steal second after Kevin Kouzmanoff popped out, but Henry Blanco would ground out and Luis Rodriguez flied out to end the inning.
It's been the lack of hitting with runners in scoring position that has given this Padres' team the most headache. Having runners on second or third with less than two outs and not getting that sac fly or not getting that timely base hit that would score that run.
After a 9-3 start, the Padres have gone 4-17 in their last 21 games, pushing them farther and farther out of the NL West and possibly making them sellers faster than anyone expected.
Prior to the start of the 2009 season, there were so many people talking about this Padres team losing 100 games or more but after a 9-3 start, the team was raising a lot of eyebrows. But, nothing has gone right for this team since then. Their pitching has struggled, their offense has been non existant at certain times and their bullpen has had trouble keeping teams off the scoreboard.
It's a trend that is quickly demolishing this team, a trend that will have this team losing more games than ever before in franchise history.
The two teams will be back at it tonight from Wrigley Field. The Padres will have 6'10" right hander Chris Young (2-1, 4.76) against Cubs' left hander Ted Lilly (4-2, 3.11).
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Padres-Diamondbacks: Missed Opportunities Abound in Loss to DBacks
The San Diego Padres had their chances, they had opportunities, but each of those chances and opportunities were missed in a disappointing 3-1 loss to Arizona on Wednesday night.
What's even more frustrating was the start that Jake Peavy put together last night, only making one mistake which Diamondback outfielder Juston Upton deposited into the left center field stands for a two run home run in the sixth inning.
Besides that, Jake was nothing short of dominant. The right hander struck out 12 in his seven innings of work, surpassing the 1,300 strikeout mark in the second inning after striking out Connor Jackson.
But, just like his last start against the Dodgers where Jake pitched eight shutout innings, his offense went AWOL, not putting up a single run in support. After winning two of his first three starts, Peavy is 0-3 in his last four starts with a no decision. Peavy could easily turn and point to his offense for not giving him anything to work with, not giving him a lead to work with, but that's not the way he opperates, Jake instead put the blame on himself.
"Bottom line, I have to be better," Peavy told the Associated Press. "If it means throwing a shutout, I’ll take full responsibility and need to do that. It’s just not possible to happen every time out.”
He may have took the blame for the loss, but Jake did say something that has become familiar to the press interviewing him after games like this. Although it wasn't a direct shot at the offense, you can read into this any way you like.
“I’ve pitched in these type of ballgames for years,” Peavy said. “You get a feel for a game, especially when one run or one pitch can beat you. Sure, there is some stress with every pitch you make, knowing that you probably shouldn’t let a run cross."
If Jake isn't willing to point a finger, we'll just point out all the missed opportunities to put runs on the board early, and often. Arizona tried to give the game away, committing four errors, two of which came on one inning.
In the second, Kevin Kouzmanoff would reach on an error by third baseman Mark Reynolds, moving to second on the throw. After Henry Blanco popped out, Luis Rodriguez would work a one out walk, which brought Jake Peavy to the plate. He attempted two straight bunts, both of which went foul and was unable to move the runners up. To add insult to injury, Peavy grounded into an inning ending double play.
In the fifth, after a lead single from Henry Blanco, Peavy would finally get a bunt down but would be safe at first thanks to a throwing error from Arizona catcher Miguel Montero trying to get the lead runner (Blanco) at second base.
Giles would then ground to first baseman Josh Whitesell, but Whitesell's throw pulled second baseman Augie Ojeda off the bag, loading the bases with just one out.
David Eckstein would then hit a fly ball to right field and it looked like the Padres were going to get on the board, but right fielder Justin Upton nailed Henry Blanco at the plate for a inning ending double play.
That would prove costly in the top half of the sixth. After Peavy struck out Felipe Lopez swinging, he would issue a walk to Ojeda, which brought up Justin Upton. Peavy left the first pitch too far in the zone and Upton got all of it, landing it a few rows deep in left center field, putting Arizona ahead, 2-0.
In the seventh, Blanco would work a one out walk an would be followed by a Luis Rodriguez single. Manager Bud Black decided that Peavy's night was done, going with Edgar Gonzalez as a pinch hitter with two on and one out. As the theme was most of the night, Gonzalez would ground into an inning ending double play, the third time of the night the Padres grounded into an inning ending double play.
Padres' reliever Duaner Sanchez would come into the game in the eighth inning and got Augie Ojeda to fly out for the first out of the inning, bringing up Justin Upton who had homered earlier in the night. Sanchez left a 1-1 pitch over the plate and letter high and Upton, again, got every bit of it, hammering a solo shot to dead center field, giving Arizona a 3-0 lead.
San Diego had one more chance in the ninth inning. Diamondback's closer Chad Qualls came into the game and promptly gave up back-to-back singles to Adrian Gonzalez and Jody Gerut and would then hit Kevin Kouzmanoff with a pitch, loading the bases with noone out. Surely, the Padres couldn't blow this opportunity, could they?
But, as was the theme all night long, Blanco would ground into the Padres' fourth double play of the game, scoring Adrian Gonzalez to put the Padres on the board, 3-1.
Luis Rodriguez would work a two out walk, bringing up Chase Headley for the first time with runners on the corners and two out, but Headley would strike out swinging to end the game.
The Padres will try to rebound tonight as they will wrap up a two game series with Arizona before they head out on the road with sets against the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs.
Padres right hander Chris Young (2-1, 4.81) will try to get this team out of their current funk, a funk that has seen San Diego drop 13 of their last 16 games. For Arizona, they will go with their hot hand, right hander Dan Haren (3-3, 1.47). First pitch is scheduled for 12:35pm PST.
What's even more frustrating was the start that Jake Peavy put together last night, only making one mistake which Diamondback outfielder Juston Upton deposited into the left center field stands for a two run home run in the sixth inning.
Besides that, Jake was nothing short of dominant. The right hander struck out 12 in his seven innings of work, surpassing the 1,300 strikeout mark in the second inning after striking out Connor Jackson.
But, just like his last start against the Dodgers where Jake pitched eight shutout innings, his offense went AWOL, not putting up a single run in support. After winning two of his first three starts, Peavy is 0-3 in his last four starts with a no decision. Peavy could easily turn and point to his offense for not giving him anything to work with, not giving him a lead to work with, but that's not the way he opperates, Jake instead put the blame on himself.
"Bottom line, I have to be better," Peavy told the Associated Press. "If it means throwing a shutout, I’ll take full responsibility and need to do that. It’s just not possible to happen every time out.”
He may have took the blame for the loss, but Jake did say something that has become familiar to the press interviewing him after games like this. Although it wasn't a direct shot at the offense, you can read into this any way you like.
“I’ve pitched in these type of ballgames for years,” Peavy said. “You get a feel for a game, especially when one run or one pitch can beat you. Sure, there is some stress with every pitch you make, knowing that you probably shouldn’t let a run cross."
If Jake isn't willing to point a finger, we'll just point out all the missed opportunities to put runs on the board early, and often. Arizona tried to give the game away, committing four errors, two of which came on one inning.
In the second, Kevin Kouzmanoff would reach on an error by third baseman Mark Reynolds, moving to second on the throw. After Henry Blanco popped out, Luis Rodriguez would work a one out walk, which brought Jake Peavy to the plate. He attempted two straight bunts, both of which went foul and was unable to move the runners up. To add insult to injury, Peavy grounded into an inning ending double play.
In the fifth, after a lead single from Henry Blanco, Peavy would finally get a bunt down but would be safe at first thanks to a throwing error from Arizona catcher Miguel Montero trying to get the lead runner (Blanco) at second base.
Giles would then ground to first baseman Josh Whitesell, but Whitesell's throw pulled second baseman Augie Ojeda off the bag, loading the bases with just one out.
David Eckstein would then hit a fly ball to right field and it looked like the Padres were going to get on the board, but right fielder Justin Upton nailed Henry Blanco at the plate for a inning ending double play.
That would prove costly in the top half of the sixth. After Peavy struck out Felipe Lopez swinging, he would issue a walk to Ojeda, which brought up Justin Upton. Peavy left the first pitch too far in the zone and Upton got all of it, landing it a few rows deep in left center field, putting Arizona ahead, 2-0.
In the seventh, Blanco would work a one out walk an would be followed by a Luis Rodriguez single. Manager Bud Black decided that Peavy's night was done, going with Edgar Gonzalez as a pinch hitter with two on and one out. As the theme was most of the night, Gonzalez would ground into an inning ending double play, the third time of the night the Padres grounded into an inning ending double play.
Padres' reliever Duaner Sanchez would come into the game in the eighth inning and got Augie Ojeda to fly out for the first out of the inning, bringing up Justin Upton who had homered earlier in the night. Sanchez left a 1-1 pitch over the plate and letter high and Upton, again, got every bit of it, hammering a solo shot to dead center field, giving Arizona a 3-0 lead.
San Diego had one more chance in the ninth inning. Diamondback's closer Chad Qualls came into the game and promptly gave up back-to-back singles to Adrian Gonzalez and Jody Gerut and would then hit Kevin Kouzmanoff with a pitch, loading the bases with noone out. Surely, the Padres couldn't blow this opportunity, could they?
But, as was the theme all night long, Blanco would ground into the Padres' fourth double play of the game, scoring Adrian Gonzalez to put the Padres on the board, 3-1.
Luis Rodriguez would work a two out walk, bringing up Chase Headley for the first time with runners on the corners and two out, but Headley would strike out swinging to end the game.
The Padres will try to rebound tonight as they will wrap up a two game series with Arizona before they head out on the road with sets against the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs.
Padres right hander Chris Young (2-1, 4.81) will try to get this team out of their current funk, a funk that has seen San Diego drop 13 of their last 16 games. For Arizona, they will go with their hot hand, right hander Dan Haren (3-3, 1.47). First pitch is scheduled for 12:35pm PST.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Padres-Rockies: Two Home Runs From Gonzalez Not Enough in Loss to Rockies
Padres' first baseman Adrian Gonzalez would be the first to tell you that setting a team record doesn't mean as much as his team getting a win. So, when he set the team record for most home runs in the month of April (9), you could understand why his mood was a little somber.
Adrian was responsible for three of the Padres' five runs, hammering a solo shot in the seventh inning and followed that up with a two run blast in the eighth for his eighth and ninth home runs of the year, but it was too little too late as the Padres dropped a 7-5 decision to Colorado Wednesday afternoon.
Rockies' starter Aaron Cook just had to pick the Padres to have his best outing of the season, shutting out the Padres for six innings before giving up three runs in the seventh inning off home runs from Adrian Gonzalez and catcher Henry Blanco.
Padres' right hander Kevin Correia had his usual outing, giving up three runs through his five innings of work but his walks continue to get him into trouble, walking four for the third time in his first four starts. He at least kept his team in the ballgame, but says he wants to get his pitch count down to be able to pitch deeper into games.
"I'm not giving up too many runs," said Correia. "I'm just not staying in the game long enough. I had a couple longer innings, and my pitch count's just too high right now. I got to find a way to get it down."
It took just two swings of the bat for Correia to fall behind. In the second inning, Correia had a full count to Rockies' catcher Chris Ianetta with two outs and pitcher Aaron Cook on deck. Correia tried to throw a slider but missed with his location and Ianetta got enough of it to hit it over the left field fence for a two run home run to put the Rockies ahead 2-0.
In the very next inning, Rockies' first baseman Todd Helton got a hold of a 3-1 offering from Correia for a solo shot to extend the lead to 3-0 but would keep them off the scoreboard in the fourth and fifth innings, departing after completing the fifth inning.
That's when the game got out of hand. Cla Meredith would give up an RBI single to Chris Ianetta and a sacrifice fly to Dexter Fowler before being pulled in favor of newly called up Arturo Lopez. Unfortunately, Lopez didn't fare any better, giving up two walks and a two run single to Todd Helton to extend the Rockies' lead to 7-0.
It was too much for San Diego to overcome, although two home runs from Adrian Gonzalez and one from Henry Blanco brought them close but not close enough.
Miraculously, even though San Diego is just one game above .500, they remain in second place in the National League Western Division behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Shows how competetive, or lack thereof, the NL West is in 2009.
Speaking of the Dodgers, the Padres will be in Los Angeles for the first of a four game set starting tonight. Young right hander Josh Geer (0-0, 4.91) will try to rebound from his rough relief appearance a few days ago, giving up four runs in three innings as he gets the start tonight against the Dodgers.
As for LA, James McDonald (1-1, 7.11) will make his third start of the season, though he didn't have much luck in his first two starts. He gave up five runs on two hits while walking three in just two and one third inning in his first start against Arizona.
He had more luck in his second start against Colorado, going four and a third shutout innings, giving up just four hits but didn't pitch long enough to earn a decision in a 14-2 win.
McDonald made another start against the Rockies six days later and didn't fare nearly as well. He gave up four runs on five hits in five innings of work, getting his first win of the season.
Additional Padre notes: Adrian Gonzalez extended his hit streak to eleven straight games with his solo home run in the seventh inning. He's now reached base safely in all 21 games.
Adrian was responsible for three of the Padres' five runs, hammering a solo shot in the seventh inning and followed that up with a two run blast in the eighth for his eighth and ninth home runs of the year, but it was too little too late as the Padres dropped a 7-5 decision to Colorado Wednesday afternoon.
Rockies' starter Aaron Cook just had to pick the Padres to have his best outing of the season, shutting out the Padres for six innings before giving up three runs in the seventh inning off home runs from Adrian Gonzalez and catcher Henry Blanco.
Padres' right hander Kevin Correia had his usual outing, giving up three runs through his five innings of work but his walks continue to get him into trouble, walking four for the third time in his first four starts. He at least kept his team in the ballgame, but says he wants to get his pitch count down to be able to pitch deeper into games.
"I'm not giving up too many runs," said Correia. "I'm just not staying in the game long enough. I had a couple longer innings, and my pitch count's just too high right now. I got to find a way to get it down."
It took just two swings of the bat for Correia to fall behind. In the second inning, Correia had a full count to Rockies' catcher Chris Ianetta with two outs and pitcher Aaron Cook on deck. Correia tried to throw a slider but missed with his location and Ianetta got enough of it to hit it over the left field fence for a two run home run to put the Rockies ahead 2-0.
In the very next inning, Rockies' first baseman Todd Helton got a hold of a 3-1 offering from Correia for a solo shot to extend the lead to 3-0 but would keep them off the scoreboard in the fourth and fifth innings, departing after completing the fifth inning.
That's when the game got out of hand. Cla Meredith would give up an RBI single to Chris Ianetta and a sacrifice fly to Dexter Fowler before being pulled in favor of newly called up Arturo Lopez. Unfortunately, Lopez didn't fare any better, giving up two walks and a two run single to Todd Helton to extend the Rockies' lead to 7-0.
It was too much for San Diego to overcome, although two home runs from Adrian Gonzalez and one from Henry Blanco brought them close but not close enough.
Miraculously, even though San Diego is just one game above .500, they remain in second place in the National League Western Division behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Shows how competetive, or lack thereof, the NL West is in 2009.
Speaking of the Dodgers, the Padres will be in Los Angeles for the first of a four game set starting tonight. Young right hander Josh Geer (0-0, 4.91) will try to rebound from his rough relief appearance a few days ago, giving up four runs in three innings as he gets the start tonight against the Dodgers.
As for LA, James McDonald (1-1, 7.11) will make his third start of the season, though he didn't have much luck in his first two starts. He gave up five runs on two hits while walking three in just two and one third inning in his first start against Arizona.
He had more luck in his second start against Colorado, going four and a third shutout innings, giving up just four hits but didn't pitch long enough to earn a decision in a 14-2 win.
McDonald made another start against the Rockies six days later and didn't fare nearly as well. He gave up four runs on five hits in five innings of work, getting his first win of the season.
Additional Padre notes: Adrian Gonzalez extended his hit streak to eleven straight games with his solo home run in the seventh inning. He's now reached base safely in all 21 games.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
San Diego Padres: 2010 Free Agents
It's never too early to take a look ahead at what the 2010 San Diego Padres might look like. Here's the list of players that will be free agents after the completion of the 2009 season.
Henry Blanco
David Eckstein
Chris Burke
Cliff Floyd
Emil Brown
Brian Giles
Mark Prior
Duaner Sanchez
Henry Blanco - Blanco was signed to a 1 year $750,000 contract during the off-season and so far, he and Padres' ace Jake Peavy have a chemistry I haven't seen since former A's catcher Ramon Hernandez was behind the plate in 2004 and 2005.
The Padres don't have much in the way of catchers in their minor league system. There are plenty of free agent catchers that will be available during this upcoming off season, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Padres negotiated another one year deal to keep Blanco in San Diego in 2010.
David Eckstein - Eckstein has been one of the bigger surprises this season for San Diego. The second baseman is currently hitting .321 (17/53) and has seemingly ended the "2nd base curse" that hung on since Mark Loretta departed after the 2005 season. It ushered in the likes of Josh Barfield, Marcus Giles and prospect Matt Antonelli, neither of the three had any success at the position.
Barfield was traded to Cleveland, Giles was released after struggling gadly and Antonelli was sent back to Triple-A Portland after he had struggles both offensively and defensively.
Look for Eckstein to be signed to at least a two or three year deal before this season is over, especially since the Padres don't have good options in their minor league system. Although, the Padres have shown interest in bringing back Mark Loretta as well as having interest in Mark DeRosa this past off season. Eckstein is the better option and I expect the Padres believe that as well.
Chris Burke - Chris Burke was a player the Padres brought in as another option in case Luis Rodriguez or Everth Cabrera struggled but that didn't happen so Burke was traded to Seattle a days prior to the start of the 2009 season.
After Cabrera's injury, putting him on the shelf for 6-8 weeks, Burke was traded back to San Diego and is currently the backup to Luis Rodriguez, though he could get some playing time to give Rodriguez a break.
I don't expect Burke to be around after Cabrera returns. He'll either be sent to Triple-A Portland, traded or released outright.
Cliff Floyd - One name Padre fans have yet to see due to injuring his shoulder during spring training, may have to wait even longer according to Rick Eymer of MLB.com. Floyd has had fluid drained from his right knee twice in the last three weeks and is now scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday afternoon in San Diego.
Once Floyd returns, look for him to get some significant time in right field especially with current right fielder Brian Giles having a slow start to the season (.159). If Floyd shows his bat is just as strong as it has been in years past and shows no ill effects from his shoulder injury, he could prove to be a strong addition to the lineup.
I don't see Floyd being with San Diego past this season, especially with young prospects like Will Venable and Chad Huffman ready to battle for a starting spot in San Diego.
Emil Brown - Brown is currently playing with Triple-A Portland and is currently hitting .256 with one home run and seven RBI. He's another one of those guys who could be brought up at any point during the 2009 season if Brian Giles is traded but I don't expect to see him in San Diego until late this season, if at all.
Don't expect Brown to be a long term fixture in San Diego.
Brian Giles - Speaking of Brian Giles, he has been the biggest disappointment so far this season. I know we're only three weeks into it but I expect a guy like Giles to be hitting better than .159 at this point. Not only that, but Giles has yet to hit his first home run of the year.
Giles stats in situation hitting aren't great either. With the bases empty, Giles has just two hits in twenty-seven at bats, good for a .077 average. With runners on, not necessarily in scoring position, Giles is 8-for-36 (.222) and with runners in scoring position he's 6-for-24 (.250). The Padres expect better from their number three hitter, especially hitting in front of Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Headley and Kevin Kouzmanoff.
I fully expect Giles to be traded some time in June or July. It could be a lot sooner if he continues to struggle. If the Padres want to stay in the race, they can't have Giles batting third at a .159 clip. Young prospects Will Venable and/or Chad Huffman would be better options than Giles at that point.
Mark Prior - Another name that Padre fans have yet to see, even though Prior is in his second season with San Diego and he's yet to throw one pitch in a game.
Henry Blanco
David Eckstein
Chris Burke
Cliff Floyd
Emil Brown
Brian Giles
Mark Prior
Duaner Sanchez
Henry Blanco - Blanco was signed to a 1 year $750,000 contract during the off-season and so far, he and Padres' ace Jake Peavy have a chemistry I haven't seen since former A's catcher Ramon Hernandez was behind the plate in 2004 and 2005.
The Padres don't have much in the way of catchers in their minor league system. There are plenty of free agent catchers that will be available during this upcoming off season, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Padres negotiated another one year deal to keep Blanco in San Diego in 2010.
David Eckstein - Eckstein has been one of the bigger surprises this season for San Diego. The second baseman is currently hitting .321 (17/53) and has seemingly ended the "2nd base curse" that hung on since Mark Loretta departed after the 2005 season. It ushered in the likes of Josh Barfield, Marcus Giles and prospect Matt Antonelli, neither of the three had any success at the position.
Barfield was traded to Cleveland, Giles was released after struggling gadly and Antonelli was sent back to Triple-A Portland after he had struggles both offensively and defensively.
Look for Eckstein to be signed to at least a two or three year deal before this season is over, especially since the Padres don't have good options in their minor league system. Although, the Padres have shown interest in bringing back Mark Loretta as well as having interest in Mark DeRosa this past off season. Eckstein is the better option and I expect the Padres believe that as well.
Chris Burke - Chris Burke was a player the Padres brought in as another option in case Luis Rodriguez or Everth Cabrera struggled but that didn't happen so Burke was traded to Seattle a days prior to the start of the 2009 season.
After Cabrera's injury, putting him on the shelf for 6-8 weeks, Burke was traded back to San Diego and is currently the backup to Luis Rodriguez, though he could get some playing time to give Rodriguez a break.
I don't expect Burke to be around after Cabrera returns. He'll either be sent to Triple-A Portland, traded or released outright.
Cliff Floyd - One name Padre fans have yet to see due to injuring his shoulder during spring training, may have to wait even longer according to Rick Eymer of MLB.com. Floyd has had fluid drained from his right knee twice in the last three weeks and is now scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday afternoon in San Diego.
Once Floyd returns, look for him to get some significant time in right field especially with current right fielder Brian Giles having a slow start to the season (.159). If Floyd shows his bat is just as strong as it has been in years past and shows no ill effects from his shoulder injury, he could prove to be a strong addition to the lineup.
I don't see Floyd being with San Diego past this season, especially with young prospects like Will Venable and Chad Huffman ready to battle for a starting spot in San Diego.
Emil Brown - Brown is currently playing with Triple-A Portland and is currently hitting .256 with one home run and seven RBI. He's another one of those guys who could be brought up at any point during the 2009 season if Brian Giles is traded but I don't expect to see him in San Diego until late this season, if at all.
Don't expect Brown to be a long term fixture in San Diego.
Brian Giles - Speaking of Brian Giles, he has been the biggest disappointment so far this season. I know we're only three weeks into it but I expect a guy like Giles to be hitting better than .159 at this point. Not only that, but Giles has yet to hit his first home run of the year.
Giles stats in situation hitting aren't great either. With the bases empty, Giles has just two hits in twenty-seven at bats, good for a .077 average. With runners on, not necessarily in scoring position, Giles is 8-for-36 (.222) and with runners in scoring position he's 6-for-24 (.250). The Padres expect better from their number three hitter, especially hitting in front of Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Headley and Kevin Kouzmanoff.
I fully expect Giles to be traded some time in June or July. It could be a lot sooner if he continues to struggle. If the Padres want to stay in the race, they can't have Giles batting third at a .159 clip. Young prospects Will Venable and/or Chad Huffman would be better options than Giles at that point.
Mark Prior - Another name that Padre fans have yet to see, even though Prior is in his second season with San Diego and he's yet to throw one pitch in a game.
Anything the Padres get from Prior they will gladly accept. He is still very much a large presence on any mound in the big leagues and if he gets back any of what he had prior to his shoulder problems, it could resurrect what was supposed to be a Hall of Fame career.
If Prior doesn't quite make a comeback in 2009, I don't expect the Padres will bring him back unless they is more promise to his rehabilitation and they get a good report from the doctors.
Duaner Sanchez - It looked like Sanchez would be a diamond in the rough find for general manager Kevin Towers, especially after his first three appearances against the Dodgers, Giants and Mets where he didn't give up a hit in each of those appearances.
Since then, he's given up four runs, including two home runs in his last 2 1/3 innings. Unless he can turn this around soon, Towers may be looking to make another trade to bring in another reliever.
As much as teams talk about trading players or adding payroll close to the trading deadline, I think the Padres will be adding instead of subtracting. I believe the Padres will be in this race and I think another piece or two could make put this team over the top.
Cliff Floyd is still yet to make his debut, Shawn Hill has been better than expected as a starter, the Padres will be getting Cha Seung Baek back from injury soon as well as reliever Mike Adams. This team is going to be just fine, so hang on Padre fans, it's going to be a fun ride.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Henry Blanco's Two-Homer Game Leads Padres Past Giants
If you couldn't tell how much chemistry Jake Peavy has with catcher Henry Blanco, it was certainly evident last night.
The San Diego Padres' right-hander pitched 8 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out ten, not to mention he didn't walk a batter all night as Peavy would pick up his first win of the season in a 6-3 Padres' victory.
His catcher, former Cub Henry Blanco, wouldn't allow Jake to steal the show. With the game scoreless in the third inning, Blanco would get his first home-run of the season giving the Padres a 1-0 lead. In the home half of the 5th inning, game tied at 1-1, Blanco made sure Giants' starter Jonathan Sanchez remembered his name as Blanco sent a fastball into the upper deck in left field giving the Padres a 2-1 lead. Later that inning, with the bases loaded, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez gave the knockout punch with a bases clearing double for a 5-2 lead.
For Jake Peavy, it was his 28th career start in which he finished with double-digit strikeouts. You can also tell that Peavy enjoys the chemistry that he shares with his catcher. "I think communication is the big thing. I spent a lot of time talking about what I do to be successful. He's as good as anyone I've been with talking about before the game and going out and executing. We really do follow pitch-by-pitch what we want to do."
It also didn't hurt that the Padres gave Peavy the run support that they didn't give him in his first start against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After their third straight win last night, the momentum is certainly there, it's how they carry it into each and every game that is going to be the most important. The rotation has been better than expected, the bullpen has given up just three runs in their 16 innings of work thus far and closer Heath Bell is 3-for-3 in save chances. Things are going the right way for this team, how the rest of the season goes is yet to be seen.
The San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres will be back at it again tonight from Petco Park. The Giants will have young ace Tim Lincecum on the hill tonight against Padres' right-hander Chris Young.
The San Diego Padres' right-hander pitched 8 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out ten, not to mention he didn't walk a batter all night as Peavy would pick up his first win of the season in a 6-3 Padres' victory.
His catcher, former Cub Henry Blanco, wouldn't allow Jake to steal the show. With the game scoreless in the third inning, Blanco would get his first home-run of the season giving the Padres a 1-0 lead. In the home half of the 5th inning, game tied at 1-1, Blanco made sure Giants' starter Jonathan Sanchez remembered his name as Blanco sent a fastball into the upper deck in left field giving the Padres a 2-1 lead. Later that inning, with the bases loaded, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez gave the knockout punch with a bases clearing double for a 5-2 lead.
For Jake Peavy, it was his 28th career start in which he finished with double-digit strikeouts. You can also tell that Peavy enjoys the chemistry that he shares with his catcher. "I think communication is the big thing. I spent a lot of time talking about what I do to be successful. He's as good as anyone I've been with talking about before the game and going out and executing. We really do follow pitch-by-pitch what we want to do."
It also didn't hurt that the Padres gave Peavy the run support that they didn't give him in his first start against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After their third straight win last night, the momentum is certainly there, it's how they carry it into each and every game that is going to be the most important. The rotation has been better than expected, the bullpen has given up just three runs in their 16 innings of work thus far and closer Heath Bell is 3-for-3 in save chances. Things are going the right way for this team, how the rest of the season goes is yet to be seen.
The San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres will be back at it again tonight from Petco Park. The Giants will have young ace Tim Lincecum on the hill tonight against Padres' right-hander Chris Young.
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